IF WORLD TITLE WAS GIVEN TO THE BEST PLAYER IN SNOOKER (PART 2)
What if instead of having the traditional World Championship at the Crucible in the end of each season, snooker gave the title of world champion to the player who had had the best season on tour?
There are a few sports that actually don't have a world championship and we measure who's the best player in the world by their achievements through the year, usually looking at who leads the world ranking. In snooker, we do have a World Championship and we know how huge it is to the sport and how much players' seasons are measured by their performance at the Crucible. However, here we're going to rebuild snooker history as if the World Championship had never existed and whoever had the best season was World Champion. Note that we're not simply considering who's led the world ranking or won more tournaments - it's about the importance of the titles won and the consistency of the player in reaching finals throughout the season too.
I've been following snooker for about 12 years now, but I've made a lot of research and I'm sure the past winners will be very accurate as well. We've started at season 1977/78 (click here to see part 1), because that was the first season the UK Championship was played and the Triple Crown series begun.
If a player has been elected the season's best player for multiple times the amount of times will be in brackets, and if such player eventually won the real world title at the Crucible that season it'll be marked with an asterisk.
1999/00: John Higgins (2)
Second in a row for John. Matthew Stevens had a great season winning the Masters and making the final of the UK Championship so this was a very difficult choice. I give it narrowly to John Higgins because the Scot won three prestigious titles this season (Grand Prix, Welsh Open and Irish Masters) and was runner up to Stevens himself in the Scottish Masters. Usually Stevens would've gotten this one because of his triple crown performance, but as Higgins' three wins came on big tournaments as well, he gets this one.
2000/01: Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) *
No UK or Masters final for Ronnie this season, but a fairly easy choice as the Rocket took 5 titles in six finals.
2001/02: John Higgins (3)
It's been all Higgins and O'Sullivan for five consecutive seasons. Four titles for the Scot this term including the Scottish Masters, British Open and Irish Masters. He was also runner-up in the Premier League.
2002/03: Mark Williams *
Ronnie may have had a great season, but the UK and Masters titles for Mark Williams did the job well done. The Welsh was also runner-up in the Premier League and Welsh Open.
2003/04: Stephen Hendry (7)
This was an incredibly balanced season. Although Matthew Stevens and Paul Hunter won the UK Championship and the Masters respectively, none of them won anything else during the season. O'Sullivan won the Welsh Open and was runner-up at the Masters and British Open. But Hendry beat Ronnie in the British Open final as well as winning the Premier League and making the UK Championship final. He was the only player to win multiple titles this season (remember we're never counting the real World Championship) and on top of that made a Triple Crown final.
2004/05: Ronnie O'Sullivan (4)
A fourth crown for Ronnie O'Sullivan in an easy decision. The Englishman won the Grand Prix, Welsh Open, Masters and Premier League as well as keeping on top of the World Rankings.
2005/06: John Higgins (4)
John Higgins just can't let Ronnie runaway. This season he won the Masters and the Grand Prix as well as making the final of the Malta Cup and China Open.
2006/07: Ronnie O'Sullivan (5)
A great season for Neil Robertson sees the Australian win the Grand Prix and Welsh Open, but still not enough to top O'Sullivan who, in four finals, won three titles includind the Masters and the Irish Masters.
2007/08: Mark Selby
Selby and Ronnie had very similar seasons this term. The latter won the UK Championship and the Premier League as well as being runner-up in the Grand Prix and Welsh Open. However, his defeat to Mark Selby in the Welsh Open final was the first chapter of a long rivalry and one of Selby's three titles in a season that he won the Masters as well.
2008/09: Ronnie O'Sullivan (6)
Murphy was UK champion and had a great season, but Ronnie was Masters champion and played better in other important tournaments too. The Rocket won the Northern Ireland Trophy and the Premier League as well as being runner-up in the Shanghai Masters.
2009/10: Ding Junhui
The UK Championship was Ding's only title this season, but no one was really exceptional in multiple occasions. Ding's other three finals included the Grand Prix and China Open.
That's it for part 2. Five wins for Ronnie this decade leaves him at six. But Selby has broken through and will have his say on part 3 (final), which will cover the 2010's. Stay tuned!
Like Down the Rail on Facebook and follow Down the Rail on Instagram.
LINKS:
Comments
Post a Comment